For specialist training provider Winnovation, becoming a delivery partner for the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) Multiply programme has been a breath of fresh air. The team feels as though they’re truly working in partnership for the benefit not only of their learners, but for the region’s employers too.
Winnovation, which was founded in the region in 2009, provides training for those in or pursuing careers in the Early Years or in Health and Social Care.
The team behind the Byker-based organisation, which is headed up by Managing Director Billy Doherty, recently joined forces with NTCA to deliver Multiply, a £4.1m programme to build capability and confidence with numeracy as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and they’ve already had phenomenal success.
Billy explained: “It’s been refreshing working with the North of Tyne Combined Authority as it feels very much like a joint partnership, and of our first cohort of learners, we’ve already seen five go on to employment and one into Further Education.”
In groups of 12, many of whom are not in work or are in roles in which their confidence with maths has become a stumbling block, the Winnovation team builds numerical confidence by introducing maths as applied to jobs in their field.
Billy continued: “People don’t realise how much they need to use maths in these sectors, but we bring it to life for them by looking at things like moving and handling, staffing ratios, basic life support; there really is a lot more to these roles than people might think.”
Winnovation’s Laura Appleby and Billy Doherty, with learners Agatha and Kerrianne
Relevant to anyone wishing to work in Health and Social Care, including nurses and registered managers, Billy feels the Multiply programme will be instrumental in helping reduce errors when learners go on to work with medication, or on evacuation procedures as just two examples.
He said: “We’re there with Multiply to increase people’s confidence as well as their ability to use maths in the real working environment.
“Using maths is an everyday task, especially in employment, and the programme benefits employers because it creates a workforce that understands how to use maths to support their clients to have a better quality of life.”
Although they acknowledge that it can be daunting to come into a room full of strangers at first, the Winnovation team often finds that after the first session of Multiply, learners don’t want to leave.
Lead Tutor and Assessor for Health and Social Care at Winnovation, Laura Appleby added: “At the end of Multiply, whatever their starting point, learners know what they want, how to get it, and where to go for further learning and support. It’s a fantastic programme.”
Find out more about NTCA’s funded skills programmes, which include Multiply, Skills Bootcamps and Skills for Growth all part of our Education, Inclusion and Skills porfolio.
